Pending RFA Canucks defenceman Filip Johansson signs two-year deal in Sweden

With both the Vancouver and Abbotsford Canucks’ 2023–24 seasons officially in the books, the focus now shifts to the off-season and managing their list of pending free agents.

And down in the farm, that list is plentiful, particularly on the backend.

However, they can now cross one pending RFA off their list, as Filip Johansson has returned to Sweden.

On Friday, it was announced that the 24-year-old defenceman signed a two-year deal with Rögle in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL).

“I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve been in contact with Hampus (Sjöström) for a while now, and I’m really excited,” Johansson told Rögle media. “It’s a good place to continue to develop and a good team that fights to win.”

However, with names like Cole McWard (RFA), Jett Woo (RFA), Mark Friedman (UFA) and Noah Juulsen all contending for spots on the right side, he’s likely taken a good look at where he sits on the pecking order and is looking for a chance to secure a more prominent role.

Before crossing to North America, Johansson spent four seasons in the SHL, split between Leksands and Frölunda. He contributed 16 goals and 47 points across 183 matches.

Rögle, where Nils Höglander played out his three-year SHL career, recently reached the SHL finals, eventually losing to Skellefteå, Linus Karlsson’s former team, in five games.

Johansson joins as one of just two right-handed defencemen on the current roster.